ANotSoSlowboatToAmberIndex A Not So Slowboat to Amber Martin makes a face. "I'm not sure if I should be offended..." and then he grins "or relieved." "They approach." Ostegos says after a moment. And indeed, coming down a rise on a path by the river side, Noys is leading Meriel back to Priya, Castor, Pollux, Martin, Ostegos, and Krysta. Meriel is still wet from her dip in the river. "Welcome back." Castor says with a grin. With a slightly guilty look, Martin gives a nod to Meriel. Pollux gives a smile, and Krysta gives a nod of the head as well. Meriel glances around at them all, but says nothing - still wearing the stubborn expression. "Priya needs to speak with you before we depart." Ostegos prompts. Standing at the back of the group from Meriel's perspective, Priya tidied the details of her clothing and looked up. She made eye contact with Meriel, but didn't yet approach, giving Meriel the chance to respond first. Meriel folds her arms. "I'm not going back," she says flatly. "Who said you were?" Priya looked mildly interested. "Moire saw me," says Meriel. "Are you saying she expressed no interest in my return?" She looks more than a little sceptical. "She did, rather clearly." Priya replied. "I made her a better offer, if you'd care to hear my terms." "Does it involve me going back to Rebma?" asks Meriel. There is a hard note in her voice. It is not easy, after all, to turn your back on everything you have ever known or loved in the pursuit of freedom. "Not immediately, no." Priya shook her head slightly. "Like myself, you'd have the ability to come and go as needed, or as desired when there is no need to dictate otherwise." Meriel's sceptical look returns. The rest of the group has gone silent, watching and listening to the conversation with varying degrees of interest, from the rapt attentiveness of Martin and Noys to the more disinterested Krysta. "And the guarantees that my freedom would be respected if I returned to Rebman waters?" she asks. Priya gaze turns serious. "You up hold your end of the bargain, I will uphold mine, and I expect the Queen to do the same." The casual tone Priya had managed before was wearing thin, and a faint frown tighted the skin around her eyes. "But before you make decrees, you might want to hear what I have to offer." "My decree is the one desired by every prisoner," says Meriel. "I would be free. You speak of a conditional freedom, where there is no need to dictate otherwise. But for a scryer of my skills, there will always be a mirror that needs to be watched. They will always need me - and their need necessitates my imprisonment. "But what is your offer, Lady Priya?"Priya's steady gaze held a note of disapproval, or disappointment, but she listened attentively, speaking after a moment to reflect. "You have a limited view of how the world might work, which is understandable. The Queen finds you untrustworthy, which I think is equally understandable, but both of you are behaving myopically. You have failed to see the possibilities, because -while It may be most efficient if the core is close and central- your skill does not necessitate imprisonment. Your involvement with Martin's earlier behavior did that." The last was an aside, her view though not central to the point she was working her way toward. Meriel glances at Martin and then gives a single, abrupt nod. Martin nods his head a couple of times and turns to let Priya continue to speak. His eyes focus on her, slightly narrowed but he does not speak. "I don't regret that," Priya says, "nor wish it undone. And I don't think my initial punishment unfair. I do believe that when my utility became obvious that my continued punishment became ... convenient." Priya tilts her head slightly, something of a nod or a shrug, acknowledging the statement without comment."What I proposed to the Queen was that you remain out here as an agent of the Throne. You can keep her informed from virtually anywhere and I can think of situations were your assistance would have been valuable. At times you may wish to return and remain in Rebma because it affords you a place of safety and strength from which to work. When there is no assignment, what you do is largely, if not entirely up to you simply because you now represent the Queen and your actions may have ramifications that go beyond yourself. You will need to look at the larger picture instead of focusing solely on what you desire." She stopped there, giving Meriel silence to think or respond. Meriel looks rather taken aback. "And the Queen ... agreed to this? That I could enter Rebma ... and leave freely again? You'll forgive my incredulity, Lady Priya, but my experience of Rebma's strength has been as a prison, not as a support." "It wasn't without cost," Priya replied, "but yes, she is agreed." Meriel hesitates - and glances again at Martin. Martin looks surprised at Priya's offer. He looks from Meriel to Priya, and then gives a nod, attentive on Priya. "I thank you again, Lady Priya," Meriel says. "But before I can accept your offer and place myself in your debt, there's a ... a duty that I must discharge." "Don't be too quick to thank me. On your own, with the right argument, you might have worked out something for yourself. Now, somehow we have to find a way for me to be responsible for your well-being without us being joined at the hip like a pair of infatuated school girls." Priya wrinkled her nose, her gaze briefly flickering passed Meriel to the rest of the group. Martin grins at this. Meriel is looking very thoughtful, but she says nothing. "In the meantime, Prince Pollux is overdue for a visit to the infirmary, and I am late for tea with Princess Fiona. We can talk along the way. I do not speak again with the Queen until this evening." "We're far enough away from that strange shadow to trump now." Martin says after Priya finishes. "Let's get a Gate going, and all get through into Amber. Then Pollux can get medical attention, Priya can have tea and we can converse at leisure. Mustn't keep Aunt Fi waiting." "I'm for that, Martin" Castor replies. Pollux manages a nod of agreement. "I already had offered to trump Meriel to Amber, if necessary." Noys says. Although I want a moment to say goodbye..." she trails off her voice, unable to continue. "She means that I will not be coming with you." Krysta says. "I wish you all success in your endeavors, and perhaps we will meet again someday. But my path does not lead back to Amber." Priya nodded to Noys and Krysta. "May your journey provide what you are looking for." The bow was minimal, polite and she turned away, glancing at Martin. "May the tides bear you safely to the deeps you desire," says Meriel. "Thank you, the both of you." Krysta says, looking at Priya and Meriel. Noys steps over to speak quietly to Krysta, and they draw off to the side for the moment. (Priya) "When the business is pressing, anyone can be made to wait, though some take it more reasonably than others. But I have other things to attend to as well." Meriel has drawn a little to one side, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Right." Martin says. He looks at Priya and then over at Meriel. Krysta has turned and started walking away, downstream. After a moment of watching her depart, Noys walks over to Meriel. She puts a sisterly hand on her shoulder. Meriel glances up at Noys and gives her a tight little smile. "I'm ready now." Noys says. "Ready to go see Amber?" Meriel nods without speaking. "You should ask our Team Leader." Martin says, looking at Priya. "I've got the trump though." he raises a gadget in the air. Castor shakes his head good naturedly. Pollux smiles slightly. Ostegos looks to Priya. Meriel watches her too, intent on what she does. Priya's eyes narrowed slightly as she tracked the gadget, giving it a critical look as Martin brandished it. "Since the goal is to get Prince Pollux a comfortable bed and a hot meal, the most expedient path will be best." She gave Martin a single curt nod and turned to scan their area, counting heads on one pass, and then looking further out as they made ready to depart. Aside from Krysta's silhouette on the path alongside the river, there is nothing that catches Priya's eye as out of place, neither fish nor person nor fowl. In the vicinity is everyone, to Priya's count. Herself, Ostegos, Castor, Pollux, Meriel, Noys and of course Martin. In the meantime, Martin stares into the gadget he has brandished so cavalierly. A rainbow nimbus of light starts to form, and from that, soon, a full fledged portal of energy surrounded by a rainbow nimbus. Through this portal, an evening scene in a courtyard is visible. "Amber Castle." Martin grins. "I knew this would work, once we got out from under the shadow of that war angel." "Hmm..." Priya was looking at Martin, with only a glance at the portal. "You've not used this to return to Amber before?" Meriel waited quietly for Martin's answer, still standing close to Noys. "Of course I have." Martin turns to Priya and furrows his eyebrows. "I mean, I could have trumped us directly into the Infirmary, but Auntie Fi and especially Dad sometimes get cranky about that sort of thing, except in emergencies. They prefer incoming Trumps to the courtyard." He motions for Pollux and Castor to go through, and they do so, stepping into the portal and onto the flagstones of the courtyard. "Why did you think this was new?" Martin adds with a slightly bewildered expression, looking at the remaining Meriel, Priya, Noys and Ostegos. Meriel shakes her head, glancing at Priya. "Do you think there's something wrong here?" she asks her fellow Rebman. Priya shook her head slighty, looking at Castor and Pollux. "Seems all is well, though I know little of Trump and would be poorly placed if something were amiss." She looked at Martin, reaching for Ostegos' arm and ready to step through next. "Your assertion that you knew it would work. Most of us, with something we trust, would not make such an assertion. Few comment on things they take for granted." She replied to Martin's question as she followed the twins to Amber. "I was reassuring the lot of you." Martin says with a smile as Priya steps through, with Ostegos right behind her. Noys looks to Meriel and offers her a hand to step through with her into the courtyard. Meriel takes the hand and perhaps clutches it a little tightly as she steps through. But then she released Noys' grasp and stands a little apart, gazing around. Some sights seem familiar to her, and some surprising. Martin, of course brings up the rear and the gate closes once Meriel and Noys have preceded him through. It is night in Amber, with a waning gibbous moon shining down, along with the stars of the Amber sky. A few clouds break up the night's tapestry. A couple of guards on duty watch the proceedings, and they salute Castor, Pollux, Noys and Martin in turn but do not otherwise intervene with the proceedings. "Welcome to Castle Amber." Noys says to Meriel. "Thank you," says Meriel. She looks around again. "Air does change one's perception of distance. That tower ... I had it as closer. And the guardhouse there ... hmmmm ." "Amber is Rebma spelled backwards." Noys says with a grin. Priya sighed, glancing at the sky. "And so are the vulgarities of Shadow and time." She turned to the group. "I have matters to attend and apologies to tender." She bowed slightly to the assembled Royals and turned to Meriel. "If I do not speak with you again tonight, we should speak early in the mourn." "Yes," says Meriel, with a slight start. "Erm ... yes. We should. Indeed." She turned back to seemingly become absorbed again in her study of perspective. "Good eve, Priya. Ostegos. And once again, thank you for your aid." Castor says. Pollux gives a nod of agreement with his brother. "Good night, Priya." Martin says with a grin. He gives a nod to Ostegos in turn. Noys gives a smile to Priya. "Night." Backlinks |
